Council to tackle 23,500 tonnes of wasted Hounslow food

THE SHOCKING waste of 23,500 tonnes of food each year by Hounslow residents is being tackled by the council.

The authority is making a connection with Waste Watch, an charity which promotes action on waste reduction, reuse and recycling throughout the UK, to launch the Love Food Hate Waste initiative in the borough.

Residents will be encouraged to make a pledge to reduce their household food waste and will receive tops on how to save £50 a month by doing so.

Each year 8.3 million tonnes of food are thrown away by households across the country, costing the average family £680 a year as well as having serious implications for the environment.

A spokesman for Hounslow Council said: "Last year (2010/11) residents in Hounslow produced 94,000 tonnes of rubbish in total. Of this, 61,000 tonnes was general waste, 22,000 tonnes was recycling (paper, glass, cans, plastics, textiles etc) and 11,000 tonnes was garden waste and food waste for composting.

"A recent representative sample of our waste was analysed, showing that one quarter of all the waste generated was food waste. This means that Hounslow residents are throwing away 23,500 tonnes of food waste each year, which mostly ends up in the general waste. This can be recycled through our food waste collection or home composted, but it is much better to not waste food in the first place."

Everyone who makes the pledge in Hounslow will be entered into a prize draw to win restaurant vouchers, food hampers, cookery lessons among other rewards.

Cllr Corinna Smart, Hounslow Council’s cabinet member for the environment said: “We are always working harder to make the borough as clean and green as we can, but as ever, we need your help.

“We throw away food for all sorts of reasons, but luckily some of these can be remedied. Getting involved with the Love Food Hate Waste campaign will help the environment and save you some money in a time where that’s particularly important to most of us.”

Anyone wanting to get involved in the project can visit www.westlondonwaste.gov.uk/pledge

Do you think this is an effective way to deal with food waste in Hounslow? Let us know by emailing jessicathompson@trinitysouth.co.uk or follow @annajessicat on Twitter